Machine for treating canned goods



Sept. 11, 1923.

A. R. THOMPSON MACHINEFOR TREATING CANNED GOODS Filed Aug. 1851922 INVENTOR Qfj a wfmfla Raw [f v A TTORNE Y5 Patented Sea. ii, teas.-

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ALBERT R. THOMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON-BARN- GROVEE MEG. (70., OF SAN'J'OSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

EACHINE FOR TREATING CANNED GOODS.

Application filed August 15, 1922. Serial. No. 582,622,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THoMrsorI, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose,- in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and usefuldmprovements in- Machines for Treating CannedGoods, of whlch the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to that class of ma- 10 chines and apparatus used in the cannlng art, in which the canned goods while undergOing treatment'are carried through a'receptacle in a definite path along a track com- 7 posed of a fixed helically directed rail lying nearthe inner circumference of the shell and a reel within the fixed rail and'rotating about the axis thereof, said reel carrying a peripheral series of rails parallel with 1ts axis and coacting with the fixed rail to support the cans and efiect their travel in a helical path from their point of entrance into the receptacle to their point ,of discharge therefrom. Examples of these machines are those known as cookers in which the canned goods are heat-treated; and those called coolers in which the previously cooked canned goods are-subjected to a lower temperature to cool them.

-In machines ofthis type, the common 30 practice has been to carry the fixed helically directed rail-member of the can-track, upona series of longitudinal stringers supported in the receptacle and spaced from its walls.

35 structionis to bolt or rivet said rail member directly to and against the wall of the receptacle inwhich case said receptacle must of course be of circular cross section. But this presents a difiiculty of drainin the recep= tacle of the treating liquid, name y the waterused therein, since a portion of the water will remain in the bottom between the coils of the helical rail if bolted directly against the sought to remedy these difficulties by so disa torting the Wall of the receptacle from its circularity as to form an underlying trough like drain chamber opening directly in the interior of the receptacle. and having the coils of the helical rail bridge the opening. I have, however, found, in practice, that such construction, notwithstanding the riveting effect of the helical rail tending to keep the severed and distorted walls from spreadmg, is faulty, especially in receptacles such as pressure cookers or coolers, and that under high internal pressure the opening at the bottom is a dangerousconstructive factor in that any yielding of the receptacle walls tending to distort the can path is fatal to theoperati'on of the machine. as an uninterrupted precise can-stream flow through the receptacle is absolutely essential to success. i

The object of my invention then, is to provide simple and effective means by which the receptacle in which the fixed rail is disposed directly against its wall, may be rigidly circumferentially continuous and still may be fully drained, and may also have a space or chamber for the inclusion of a steam pipe.

. With these ends in view,'my inventionconsists in the novel machine or apparatus for treating canned goods, which I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompany- .ing drawings, in which I have found, however, that a simpler con- Fig'. 1 is a longitudinal, broken section, of my improved machine or apparatus.

Fig; 2 is an end view of the same, partly in section.

'1 is the receptacle of the machine, circular incross section and provided with an inlet indicated at 2 in Fig.1, and an exit, indicated at 3, for the canned goods which pass through it.

Within the receptacle and bolted or riveted directly to and against its wall is the fixed rail 4. This 'rail, which is preferably of 'T-section with its leg portion extending inwardly is helically directed throughout substantially the length of the receptacle, and forms one member of the can-track. Theother member of said track comprises an annular series of spaced rails 5, preferably of angle section, lying and revolving within the fixed helical rail 4, in such relation thereto that the cans are carried and supported between the rail 4 and rails 5,,the latter being parallel to their axis'of rotation, whereby the can path-is'a helical one;

reel' having end heads 6 and a driving shaft 7. I c

Below the receptacle]. is a longitudinally extending header pipe 8, into one end.of-

which is fitted an inlet water pipe 9, and in its other end is a drain 10. Leading'upwardly from'the header pipe 8 are the drain pipes 11,\entering the receptacle bottoimeach at a point between the coils of the fixed helix rail4..

It will now be seen that, notwithstanding. the disposition of the rail 4 directly against drain pipes 11 being outside of'the fixed rail 4, serves as a means for'introdueing and housing a stem pipe 12.

seen that the circular receptacle is unbroken and may be made as capable of resisting internal pressure as the 'circum-' stances require, and still it may be fully drained and convenient provision made for i introducing steam;

1 A machine fortreating canned goods comprising a receptacle circular in cross section and having a can inlet and a'can exit; a fixed helically directed rail secured to the ber of a can track through which the cans are advanced through the receptacle; a. rotatable annular series of-spaced rails within the fixed helically directed rail, parallel with its axis and forming the other member of said can track; a header pipe outside of and longitudinally underlying the receptacle; a

plurality of drain pipes leading from the header pipe and opening into the receptacle between the coils of the helically directed rail therein, and means for introducing to the receptacle a temperature controlling medium through said header pipe and drain pipes.

. I p v 2. A machine for treating canned goods comprising a-receptacle circular in cross section and having a can. inlet and a can exit; a fixed helically directed rail secured tothe receptacle-iwall and lying against the inner surface thereof, said rail forming one member of a can track through which the cans are advancedv through the receptacle; a rotatable annular series of spaced rails Withinthe 'fixed helically directed rail, parallel with Inthis improved construction, it will be its axis and forming'the other member of said can track; a header pipe outside of and rail therein; and a steam pipe housed withi in said header pipe. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT R-THOMPSON. 

